If you are conducting business with the Government of Saskatchewan by mail, please be advised that delivery may be delayed due to rotating postal strikes. Various measures are in place to ensure service to Saskatchewan residents and businesses during postal strike action.

A number of pages on the Government of Saskatchewan`s web site have been professionally translated in French. These translations are identified by a yellow text box that resembles the link below and can be found in the right hand rail of the page. The home page for French-language content on this site can be found here:

Where an official translation is not available, Google™ Translate can be used. Google™ Translate is a free online language translation service that can translate text and web pages into different languages. Translations are made available to increase access to Government of Saskatchewan content for populations whose first language is not English.

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Provincial Capital Commission

Inspiring pride and fostering connections to Saskatchewan’s Capital City

The Provincial Capital Commission's mandate is to enhance quality of life for our citizens through the celebration and creation of opportunities, stewardship of the land, and engagement of our youth about our democracy and provincial history. The Commission also promotes, preserves, and strengthens our diverse heritage and culture to ensure that Saskatchewan’s Capital City is a source of provincial pride and significance.

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1. Purpose of a Capital

reflects the history, aspirations and democratic traditions of its citizens;

is a place to remember and explore our collective past, showcasing significant milestones, objects and symbols through museums, historic sites, heritage buildings and stories;

is a place to celebrate the present;

is a location of festivals, ceremonies, democratic processes and visits by important dignitaries;

is a place to envision and realize the future;

is a centre for advancing cultural arts, education, technology, recreation and athletics, conservation and preservation and justice; and

is a symbol of the people to which it belongs, their way of government and way of life.

The Capital as a Seat of Government

A Capital city is where the three components, known as the "seat of government" are located. The three components are:

Political
The elected representatives who make laws and policy and work in the Legislative Building (or City Hall for municipal government).
Administrative
The public servants who draft policies and laws and administer government services work in government offices.

Judicial
The judges and lawyers in courts who uphold the laws as part of the legal system and work in the courthouse.

Our system of government is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. In Canada, the head of state is The Queen and her representatives that act on her behalf. Each Capital in Canada has a vice-regal representative.

Our Political System

Canada's political system has three main components:
Parliamentary Democracy
Canada's system of government has three branches of Parliament; Governor General, House of Commons and the Senate, that debate laws before they vote on them. The monarch appoints the Governor General as her representative on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Governor General appoints the senators to represent regions on the advice of the Prime Minister. The members of the House of Commons, however, are elected by the people to represent them in their ridings, therefore creating a parliamentary democracy. This system of "responsible government" means the ministers must retain the confidence of a majority of the elected members in the House of Commons (federal) or Legislative Assembly (provincial).
Federal State

There are two concurrent jurisdictions in Canada: the central government in Ottawa and the ten provincial governments. These jurisdictions are "co-sovereign," in that each has exclusive constitutional responsibilities as well as some shared ones; together they make up the Canadian State. The three territories, while receiving their authority from the Parliament of Canada, have been granted the right to exercise many powers similar to those of provinces. Their form of government continues to evolve.

Constitutional MonarchyThe Canadian Head of State is a hereditary monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, who reigns over Canada's parliamentary democracy and federal state. The Queen is personally represented by the Governor General for Canada as a whole, by the Lieutenant Governor in each of the ten provinces and by Territorial Commissioners in each of the three territories. They carry out most of her functions as Head of State.

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2. Minister and Board of Directors

Minister

Board of Directors

3. Educational Programs

Charles Knight Youth Mentorship Program

The Charles Knight Youth Mentorship Program provides an opportunity for Northern Saskatchewan students in Grades 9 through 12 to learn about the democratic process, explore post-secondary education opportunities and careers in government, and learn about the history of our province.

Students who participate will meet the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Cabinet Ministers and MLAs, along with various government officials to get an inside perspective of government and the legislative process. Students will also participate in a Mock Parliament in the Chamber of the Legislative Building.

Students will tour the following:

Legislative Building;

Government House;

University of Regina;

First Nations University of Canada;

Saskatchewan Polytechnic – Regina Campus; and

RCMP Depot Division.

All expenses to participate in the program are covered by the Province through the Provincial Capital Commission. Students and chaperones stay in residence at the University of Regina. Transportation from either La Ronge or Prince Albert, depending on applications, is also included.

What students have said about the program:

97% of the students said they would recommend the program to other students.

"Visiting the university has given me a broader view. It showed me all the opportunities available, and the supports the students receive."

"Highlights of the program were the Mock Parliament with the Speaker and touring Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Regina Campus."

"I will remember touring the RCMP Training Academy and meeting the Lieutenant Governor."

How to apply

Students must complete an application form and prepare a written essay, explaining in 250 words or less how they have demonstrated leadership abilities to foster a healthy lifestyle in their school or community and why they are interested in participating in the Charles Knight Youth Mentorship Program.

Applications for the 2019 program will be available in February 2019.

A Day in the Legislative Assembly

A Day in the Legislative Assembly program provides Grade 8 students from southern Saskatchewan the opportunity to visit and tour the Legislative Building and learn about our democratic system of government. The students are introduced in the Legislative Assembly and invited to watch the proceedings. The program has been coordinated and delivered by the Provincial Capital Commission since 2012 and is offered twice a year (during the fall and spring sessions of the Legislative Assembly).